


Kitten

by LeggoxMyxGreggo



Series: You Don’t Fool Me [1]
Category: Bohemian Rhapsody (Movie 2018), Queen (Band)
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Gen, could be read as Freddie/Brian, if you got your ship goggles on
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-15
Updated: 2018-11-15
Packaged: 2019-08-24 00:48:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,630
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16629689
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeggoxMyxGreggo/pseuds/LeggoxMyxGreggo
Summary: Brian can feel the weight of a depressive episode settle in his chest. Freddie comes to chase it away as only he could.





	Kitten

The ceiling blurred over Brian's head, his gaze unfocused as he trailed his fingers over the neck and strings of his guitar. The only sound in the room was the clock somewhere in the corner of the room.

_/Tick/Tick/Tick/_

Brian blinked to focus his gaze once more. There was a strange stain in the far right side above him.

_/Tick/Tick/Tick/_

The guitar was starting to feel like a weight on his chest. He doesn't move it, hopes instead that the feeling will kick him in to gear. They were supposed to be recording or at least trying to come up with....something.

_/Tick/Tick/Zzzzp/Tick/_

The sound of Brian running his fingers up the strings of his guitar interrupts the clock. Only for a moment. Nothing happens. No notes come to mind, no lyrics, just the weight that he really should be doing /something/. Anything.

_/Tick/Tick/Tick/_

Brian closes his eyes tightly. He doesn't even have the energy to move out of the strange position he found himself in as he tried to think. His feet rested above the headboard of the bed, socks slowly sliding with each passing moment. He's sure his hair looked a mess and still he didn't move to fix it. The energy wasn't there.

_/Tick/Tick/Tick/_

He was drained. Existing was too much. He lets his hands fall from the instrument, finally admitting defeat.

_/Tick/Tick/Ti-/_

"-an..Brian, darling, you've missed lunch."

Brian blinks slowly. At some point he'd dozed off, feet having slid from the wall to rest uncomfortably on the wood of the head board. The guitar was still balanced precariously on top of his chest. It wasn't like him to leave his precious instrument in such a position. He hums quietly to make it known that he'd heard Freddie despite the fact that he hadn't spoken up yet. The sound of quiet steps through the cramped room draws Brian's attention and he tilts his head enough to watch Freddie come in to view. "Have you taken ill?" A cool hand brushes over his forehead, smoothing errant curls away from his face.

"No", the response comes out quieter than he intends and Brian clears his throat, "No, just....taking a break." A small sound leaves Freddie and Brian notices slowly that the normally energetic man was sitting calm on the edge of the bed, gently working Brian's hair from under his lanky body, careful not to pull it more than necessary. At some point Brian had moved to grasp the guitar again.

"Are you well?" There's something in the question, an extra meaning that Brian grasps at to try and figure out.

Was he well? He's not sure he has an answer, not a good one at least. Feeling sad wasn't good enough, feeling as though he's being pressed under the weight of a brick wall and that he was trying to crawl out of it and in to molasses was a worse one. So he opts to say nothing and after a drawn out silence, Freddie seems to understand. Careful hands come away from his hair to slip his guitar from his hands to the floor. Freddie lays beside him. When Brian turns his head, he can see him with his head pillowed on his arm, watching him with soft eyes. "Can I lay with you?" The question, paired with the fact that Freddie already lay beside him causes laughter to bubble up from Brian's chest. "Yeah," he chuckles again and nods, slowly turning to face Freddie, "you can lay with me, Fred."

Freddie's smile is blinding, as though Brian just gave him their next platinum album. He doesn't deserve that look. Not when his fingers wouldn't move over the chords, the words wouldn't come to mind, not a tune came to him. And still Freddie stayed.

_/Tick/Tick/Tick/_

Brian closes his eyes. The unusual silence drags on.

_/Tick/Tick/_

"What th-?" Brian jerks slightly, eyes shooting open in surprise to look at the other man who lay with a hand outstretched toward him though no longer touching him.

There was a quick flash of..something that Brian couldn't read (fear, maybe?). "I'm sorry, Bri, I should have-"

Once the surprise passes, Brian shakes his head. "No, it's okay" He's talking at the same time as Freddie. At times like this, it's really all one can do when the man gets in to his ramblings. "Fre-, Fred. No. It's-" He sighs and raises a hand to cover Freddie's mouth and physically silence the man when his words fell on deaf ears. "It's fine, it's fine. I wasn't expecting...whatever," Brian waves the hand that had covered Freddie's mouth as he pulls it away, "that was."

Once more there's a smile from the man, softer now but still pleased now that Brian had quelled what ever fears had just reared their head. "I wanted to," Freddie tilts his head, as though thinking his words carefully, "I want to trace your features." From anyone else, this request would be strange. Hell, even from Freddie it was on the strange side. He tries not to think to hard on it as he closes his eyes again. The little talking he'd done was draining. Instead he feels the bed for Freddie's hand, smiling when the careful hand covers his. He raises the hand to his cheek, pressing down to get his point across, that he was okay with this, before he drops his hand back down with a dull thump.

Freddie's fingers leave warm trails over his cheeks, tracing his cheek gently down to his jaw before going back up to trail over the shell of his ear. The touch makes Brian shiver, a full body shake that has the touch pausing (Brian can easily imagine the look of worry) before it continues to the gentle rise of the bone just under his eye. He can't think of a time he's ever been touched like this: reverent and soft as though he was something breakable. Even more gentle than before, a soft finger tip brushes over his eyelid, lifting when he twitches again before setting on his brow and gently sweeping down the arch of his nose. He can't help a small smile when Freddie's finger pauses on the tip of his nose, whisper soft. There was a soft tap, something that could almost be considered playful if not for the quiet between them. Once more Freddie's fingers trace his nose up to his hairline before he pauses once more. Contemplative. Brian could feel it. Just as he readies himself to once more open his eyes, fingers push carefully into his hair, not once pulling on a curl or tugging them free. It's a wholly new feeling to have someone so intent on him, let alone Freddie's intense focus. Once more Brian trembles, a shake wracking his body and forcing a quivering breath free. Freddie doesn't stop this time, just presses his fingers against Brian's scalp and gently scratches and Brian allows himself to melt into the feeling, going lax under the pressure.

For a moment, the touch stops, and Brian lets out a low sound, blinking at Freddie as though coming back to himself. "Sorry, lovie." Fred smiles, pulling his hand back to rest it on Brian's shoulder and tug. "Come here." Brian follows, eyebrows pulling down in confusion, and allows himself to be moved and tucked into Freddie with gentle tugs. When he's finally where he could only assume Freddie wanted him, his face is tucked under the singer's jaw, his arm around his waist and legs curled. He almost feels small like this. He definitely feels comforted.

Once he's settled and Freddie's smoothed his hair down and away from his face, the gentle almost petting starts again. This time it begins between his shoulders with broad strokes and turns in to an almost ticklish feeling as Freddie gently scratches his nails along the same path as his palm. Brian loses focus on how long they stay like this, content where he lay almost surrounded by his friend. When Freddie's fingers once again find their way into his hair, Brian groans and presses in to it, bouncing with Freddie's chuckles.

Slowly, Brian begins to doze again with Freddie warm against him and careful nails scratching his scalp. All he can hear is his friend's heart beat and the quiet tune he'd begun to hum. Freddie drove out the oppressive silence. The weight was still there but no longer was it of brick nor was it so constrictive that he felt he would be crushed under it.

Brian startles, jerking to consciousness to be greeted with gentling hushes and a hand pressing his head to someone's chest. "Settle, Kitten. I'm not going anywhere." There's a joke in there, he can practically feel the smile in the words, but Freddie is petting him again and Brian can't really bring himself to fight. "Will we be going down to dinner? Roger was curious." That explained what had brought him to wakefulness then. He wants to shake his head, bury himself back in the comfort of the other man and refuse to come up. Instead he grumbles a tired affirmative and tightens his hold. "Of course. Darling," Freddie continues as though Brian had actually added to the conversation, "There's still time yet, close your eyes." Brian hums and the sound would have been words had he really had the mind to put effort to it but Freddie soothed him again and held him close. Just as he begins to doze once more, he grumbles what was meant to be 'thank you' but the words are garbled and he's not sure if they really even made it past his lips.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!  
> I wanted a little fic based on my own experiences wanting cuddles and affection when my depression rears up. Brian was the perfect substitute.


End file.
